USING COVER CROPS AND SOIL AERATION TO MITIGATE IMPACT OF PHYTOPHTHORA SPP. IN MACADAMIA ORCHARDS

Date

2024

Contributor

Instructor

Depositor

Speaker

Researcher

Consultant

Interviewer

Narrator

Transcriber

Annotator

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Volume

Number/Issue

Starting Page

Ending Page

Alternative Title

Abstract

Root diseases caused by Phytophthora spp. have contributed to the decline in health and production of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia) trees throughout Hawai'i. This disease has resulted in the loss of thousands of trees and threatens the future of the Hawai'i macadamia industry. Growers seek sustainable approaches to combat the impact of tree decline caused by Phytophthora spp., other than the recommended chemical controls that have seen limited adoption by Hawai'i farmers. This project evaluated the potential of using cover crops and soil aeration as cultural control methods in macadamia orchards to mitigate the impact of Phytophthora spp. A cover crop mix of cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), black oats (Avena strigosa), sudan grass (Sorghum drummondii), brown mustard (Brassica juncea), tillage radish (Raphanus sativus), and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) was selected as a combination designed to potentially improve soil physical, biological, and chemical properties to aid pathogen suppression. The results from this research showed that it is unlikely that cover crops and aeration alone can mitigate the impact of Phytophthora spp. in mature macadamia orchards. There were not significant differences in tree or soil health when comparing the treatments and control over the course of the two year project.

Description

Keywords

Agriculture, Soil sciences, Plant sciences, Aeration, Cover Crops, Macadamia, Phytophthora, Soil Health

Citation

Extent

41 pages

Format

Geographic Location

Time Period

Related To

Related To (URI)

Table of Contents

Rights

All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.

Rights Holder

Local Contexts

Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.